John Ruiz, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of North Texas, Department of Psychology, headed new research which supports the existence of the pseudo-mythical "Hispanic paradox," a debatable phenomenon where poor Latinos experience health that's comparable or better than other ethnicities. The Journal of "Endocrinology and Metabolism" published a new study about poor minority patients being more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage thyroid cancer and living longer, which supports Ruiz's finding.

Data collected from previous health studies indicated that study participants who were Hispanic experienced significantly higher survival rates for conditions such as heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and afflictions such as diabetes, kidney disease, lupus and strokes. The Journal of "Endocrinology and Metabolism" study established that all racial groups not only suffered more advanced stages of disease when diagnosed, compared to their wealthier counterparts, but also fared much worse than non-whites in general. However, when Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander patients were diagnosed with thyroid cancer, it was detected in more advanced stages and patients survived longer than all other racial and ethnic groups.

The term "Hispanic paradox" does not explain why Hispanics experience a longer life span than other ethnicities, in spite of high rates of chronic illness, but it does show a "mutual acknowledgement from the scientific world regarding the Hispanic mortality of disparity."

"Although the evidence is not yet in, there is speculation that factors that promote close social relationships may be important," explained Ruiz to VOXXI. "For example, Hispanic cultural values such as simpatia (importance of displaying kindness and maintaining interpersonal harmony), familismo (importance of keeping warm family relationships), and personalismo (valuing and building warm relationships) may help to build strong social support itself, [which] is associated with better health and lower mortality risk."

The intention of Ruiz's study was to address mixed evidence "by conducting a meta-analysis," which allowed researchers to combine all available evidence into one unique study, in order to reveal all-encompassing results. The 25+ years of published studies tracked participants over time, reporting their status. 17.5 percent of Hispanic participants were more likely to be alive at the end of a study compared to non-Hispanics.

The study indicated that there was an overall morality advantage, and that up to 25 percent more Hispanics in the heart disease group were likely to be alive at the conclusion of the research when compared to other ethnic groups. Also, Hispanics in the "no known health issue" group were 30 percent more likely to be alive. Hispanics had 16 percent survival advantage when it came to diabetes, kidney disease, stroke, HIV/AIDS and cancer. There are a number of fathers that contribute to the Hispanic paradox, which affects the resiliency Hispanics seem to have when it comes to long-standing diseases.

"If there is anything we've learned in health research it's that the answers are rarely simple," concluded Ruiz. "It is likely that such resilience is due to a combination of factors including biological, behavioral and psychosocial factors. I should note that efforts to identify resilience factors should be considered as equally important as identifying risk factors as both influence health. Hence, this study not only highlights these group differences but also reminds us that we can learn from positive outcomes and not just negative ones."

Additional factors must be investigated, said Ruiz. He also said that there should be research done to determine the likelihood of Hispanics getting sick, suffering from certain diseases, the rate of development, and the recovery process compared to non-Hispanics. The presented research does prove the existence of the Hispanic mortality paradox, according to Ruiz. The debate over the topic is defeated by the fact that mortality advantages are proven through the research. It's unclear, however, if distinct benefits remain true of other health outcomes, such as cancer recurrence, heart attacks, and infectious risks.

Jane L. Delgado, Ph.D., M.S., President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (NAHH), continues to a non-believer, stating that there are "well-defined, Hispanic-specific health guidelines from which to base medical survival rates." She also said that the Hispanic Paradox was based on insufficient information, and that subgroups within the Hispanic community should be evaluated and compared.